Dust-guard assembly



July 7, 1959 J. PEAT DUST-GUARD ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19 1958 "Imllll H nverzib 5 [7447085 Fee 1% July 7, 1959 J. FEAT DUST-GUARD ASSEMBLY' Filed May 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Zh z/emior' Ila/mes Beafi @mm, 34% v jcl/ United States Patent DUST-GUARD ASSEMBLY James Peat, West Pa., assignor to Cardwell Westinghouse Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 19, 1958, Serial No. 736,173

8 Claims. (Cl. 286- 6) This invention relates to a dust-guard assembly for mounting in the dust-guard well of a journal box while the journal remains in place therein.

Dust guards are usually of inexpensive construction and have useful lifetimes ranging from as short as the time of a single trip to as much as three months, and dust-guard replacement is a continuing, time-consuming maintenance problem. In the case of the dust guards in present-day use, replacement requires jacking up the car and removing the side frame, and this is a major operation and quite costly from the standpoint of the labor involved.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a dust-guard assembly that may be inserted in the dustguard well or removed therefrom with the journal in place. Briefly, this is accomplished by providing a dustguard assembly in the form of a ring-like frame having a central opening for the journal with the assembly being comprised of complementary, generally arcuate segments that are insertable through the top of the dustguard well into mating, interengaging relation about the periphery of the journal. The segments are resiliently flexible to accommodate necessary bending during their application, and the portions of the assembly that are located beneath the horizontal plane of the center line of the journal are of sufliciently small radial dimension as to fit readily into and be movable through the clearance space that exists between the journal and the surrounding wall of the journal box.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description.

-In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side-sectional view through a conventional journal box illustrating the dust-guard assembly of this invention in its installed position within the dust-guard well;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view better disclosing the construction and configuration of the parts of the dust-guard assembly of this invention; and

Fig. 4 is a reduced cross-sectional view illustrating the manner of applying the dust-guard assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the dust guard of this invention is designated generally as and is shown in its mounted location within the dust-guard well 11 of a conventional journal box. The journal box includes a generally U-shaped main wall 12 and transverse, generally parallel outer and inner walls 13 and 14, respectively, that border and define the open-topped dust-guard well which is here shown provided with a closure in the form of a cap 15 of inverted pan shape removably mounted across the open upper end of the well by means of a resilient loop 16. A journal 17 is shown projecting through the well and the usual openings 13A and 14A in the transverse walls 13 and 14, with the dust guard being shown in adjacent surrounding relation to the dust-guard seat portion of the journal.

As best seen in Fig. 3, in the illustrated, preferred form of this invention, the dust-guard assembly comprises complementary, generally arcuate segments 18 of semicircular form, with the adjacent ends of the segments being constructed for mating, abutting, interengagement so that upon assembly thereof in the dust-guard well, the segments cooperate to provide a ring-like frame having a central'journal-receiving opening of circular form.

In the preferred construction, each segment is comprised of a generally arcuate body 20 of molded, rubberlike material such as neoprene, having a radially extended corner portion 20C at the upper end but not at the lower end thereof. The body 20 is molded about a main stiffening rib 21 in the form of a spring-steel leaf that extends substantially coextensive therewith along the length and curvature thereof and is only partiallyembedded therein to project laterally from opposite sides of the body for relatively movable locating engagement with the adjacent opposing surfaces of the transverse walls 13 and 14. Supplementary stiffening ribs of similar spring-steel leaf construction are also partially embedded in each body 20, one, as indicated at 22, is located in and follows the curvature of the lower half of each segment body, and the other, as indicated at 23, is located in the upper corner portion 20C of each segment body.

In accordance with this invention, the segments 18 are insertable into the dust-guard well 11 while the journal is in place, and their construction facilitates complete assembly thereof directly in the dust-guard well in surrounding relation to the journal. The stiffening ribs 21, 22 and 23 cooperate with the transverse walls 13 and 14 to center each segment between these walls, and the adjacent ends of the segments are provided with mating tongue-and-groove arrangements, with the tongues 24 preferably being formed integrally with the molded rubber-like body. Each tongue is preferably arranged for snug-fitting engagement within its groove 25 and is of a tapered or wedge-shaped leading edge construction to facilitate its entry into the associated groove. Thus, the arrangement cooperates with the surrounding structure of the dust-guard well to ensure a proper mating of the segments for assembling them into a complete ringlike frame.

To permit of inserting the segments into the dust-well while the journal is in place in the journal box, the segments are constructed so that the radial dimension of the portions of the segments that are to be disposed beneath the horizontal plane of the center line of the journal is less than the minimum radial clearance dimension between the dust-guard seat portion 17S of the journal and the surrounding wall of the well. In the case of the illustrated journal box construction, this minimum clearance dimension exists at a region in the horizontal plane of the center line of the journal, as is apparent in Fig. 2.

In order to maintain the dust-guard segments in assembled relation and to assist in maintaining the assembly centered in the dust-guard well, the main stiffener rib 21 is offset radially outwardly at a point approximately midway therealong to form a mounting pad MP for a resilient foot 26 in the form of a generally sinuous spring-steel leaf having a central crest portion 26C fixed to the mounting pad, with adjacent oppositely formed crest portions 26A of the foot being engageable with the peripheral wall 12 of the well and resiliently urging the segments 18 together.

The dust-guard assembly is arranged for substantially free-floating movement within the well. For example,

the clearance dimension between the transverse walls of the well is on the order of /3" while the width of the stiffener ribs is on the order of ,4 to allow for slight imperfections in the surface smoothness of these walls and ensure a loose fit of the dust-guard assembly within the dust-guard well. The diameter of the central opening defined by the dust-guard assembly is also on the order of or /s" larger than the dust-guard seat portion 178 of the journal. It is important that the dust guard accommodate and be capable of following movements of the journal to avoid being crushed should severe service shocks result in a translational displacement of the journal relative to the journal box. For this additional reason, the segments are of substantially less radial dimension than the minimum radial clearance dimension existing around the periphery of the journal.

The ease of application of the dust-guard assembly is best appreciated from a consideration of Fig. 4, wherein the right-hand segment is shown already in place within the dust-guard well surrounding the right half of the journal, it having been inserted endwise through the top of the dust-guard well. Insertion of the first segment is facilitated by straightening it somewhat by reversely bending it in a direction in the plane of curvature of the segment, and its resiliently flexible construction readily accommodates such bending as is required. Once the right-hand segment is in place, however, the mounting clearance for the left-hand segment is reduced somewhat and it must be bent to a more nearly straight condition, as indicated in Fig. 4, to permit of its insertion endwise through the top of the dust-guard well. The left-hand segment is then readily forced around the journal until the tongue 24 on its leading end engages in the groove 25 of the right-hand segment, after which the tongue 24 at the top of the right-hand segment is manually fitted into the groove 25 of the left-hand segment. The dust guard is then in position ready for use, and its mounting and assembly in the dust-guard well does not require removal of the journal from the journal box.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form of the invention is for the purpose of complying with section 112, Title 35, of the US. Code and that the claims should be construed as broadly as prior art will permit.

1 claim:

1. The combination with a journal box that includes generally parellel, spaced apart walls flanking a dustgnard well having an open top, with a journal projecting through said walls and well and having a given minimum radial clearance dimension relative to the journal box; of a dust-guard assembly for mounting in the well in surrounding relation with the journal, said assembly comprising complementary, generally arcuate segments having adjacent ends thereof of mating, interengaging construction to definite a ring-like frame having a central opening of circular form for the journal, said seg ments being resiliently flexible in the plane of curvature thereof, with the portions of the segments disposed beneath the horizontal center line of the journal being of less radial dimension than said minimum radial clearance dimension to accommodate insertion and assembly of said segments through the top of said well while the journal is in place therein.

2. A dust-guard assembly for mounting in a journal box that includes generally parallel, spaced apart walls bordering a dust-guard well having an open top, with a journal projecting through said walls and well with a given minimum radial clearance dimension between the journal and the journal box, said dust-guard assembly comprising a pair of complementary, generally semicircular segments of resiliently flexible material and having adjacent ends thereof of mating, interengaging construction to define a ring-like frame having a central opening of circular form, with the portions of said frame located beneath the horizontal plane of the center line 4 of the journal being of less radial dimension than said minimum radial clearance dimension to accommodate insertion and assembly of said segments in said well with the journal in place therein.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein each segment comprises a body of resiliently flexible material having lateral projections on opposite sides thereof extending substantially coextensive to the length and curvature of the body for locating engagement with the adjacent opposing surfaces of said transverse walls.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein each segment is in the form of a body of resiliently flexible material having a stiffener rib embedded therein and projecting laterally beyond opposite sides thereof, said stiffener rib being in the form of a leaf spring that extends substantially coextensive to the length and curvature of the body.

5. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein each segment is arranged to extend around approximately one-half of the journal circumference, with the adjacent ends of the segments being disposed approximately above and beneath the center line of the journal and wherein each segment carries a resilient foot approximately centrally therealong and at the outer periphery thereof for resilient locating engagement against the portions of the journal box radially outwardly thereof.

6. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein each segment is in the form of a body of resiliently flexible material having a stiffener rib embedded therein and projecting laterally beyond the opposite sides thereof, said stiffener rib being in the form of a leaf spring that extends substantially coextensive to the length and curvature of the body.

7. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein each segment comprises a body of resiliently flexible, rubber-like material arranged to extend approximately halfway about the periphery of the journal with the opposite ends thereof disposed approximately above and beneath the center line of the journal, said body including an integral, radially outwardly extending corner portion at the upper end thereof, said body having a stiffener rib embedded therein and projecting laterally from opposite sides thereof, said stiffener rib being in the form of a spring leaf that extends substantially coextensive to the length and curvature of the body and that includes a radially outwardly offset central mounting pad portion and wherein a resilient foot is fixed to the mounting pad portion for resilient locating engagement with the portions of the journal box radially outwardly thereof for urging adjacent ends of said segments into abutting engagement.

8. The combination with a journal box that includes generally parallel, spaced apart walls flanking a dust-guard well having an open top, with a journal projecting through said walls and well and having a given minimum radial clearance dimension relative to the journal box; of a dust guard assembly for mounting in the well in surrounding relation with the journal, said assembly, when applied to the journal, forming a planar-ring-like frame providing a circular central opening for the journal, with said frame having complementary portions that are flexibly distortable in the plane of the frame and of less dimension radially of the journal than said minimum radial clearance dimension for insertion into said box while the journal is in place therein to assume an arcuate shape around the bottom of said journal, said portions having cooperating adjacent ends of mating construction for interengagement to complete said frame when said portions assume an arcuate shape around said journal.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,397,753 Sale Apr. 2, 1946 2,414,921 Armstrong Jan. 28, 1947 2,434,228 Sale Jan. 6, 1948 2,441,645 Sale May 18, 1948 

